The Argonauts’ locker was a happy place following Toronto’s 48-15 takedown of the Grey Cup-champion Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday in their CFL home opener.

The cold drinks and pizza went down easy and the stars of the show, slotback Chad Owens and quarterback Ricky Ray, were in demand by fans and media alike.

Ray had just thrown for three touchdowns, completing 29 of 37 passes for 407 yards before 17,758 fans at the Rogers Centre. Owens finished with 11 catches for 159 yards and a 14-yard touchdown. He also added 89 yards in punt returns as the Argos evened their record at 1-1.

“Can I have a shower?” Owens asked of the public relations staff as he stood with a towel wrapped around him at his locker while reporters hovered.

No, he was told. Better to talk now and get it over with, so he did.

Ray was already dressed and out of the locker room, having done his media duties. He was signing autographs for fans at field level.

Ray and Owens. They go together like bread and butter, yet they often travel in different circles off the field. This year something changed.

Ray has been picking up Owens for practice and dropping him off afterward each day. During the ride from Mississauga to York University, they get to talk a bit more.

Owens doesn’t know for sure if this has contributed to a heightened bond between them on the field. But he’s willing to consider it.

The Argos will look back fondly to June 23, 2010. That’s when they acquired Owens in a trade with the Montreal Alouettes. They gave up a draft pick in exchange.

Owens’ favourite quote: “The greatness of a man should not be determined by his success in life, but by what he is able to overcome.”

At five-foot-eight, Owens is not a tall target for Ray. But Ray always seems to find him in the open, often not far down field.

“He’s so shifty out there,” Ray said. “A lot of those throws are just short passes. I just got to get the ball into his hands. He’s going to make guys miss. It makes my job easy.”

Owens was a threat to score every time he touched the ball. He’s quick as a flea and as explosive as a Canada Day fireworks display.

“I just get excited every time I get to touch the ball,” Owens said while limping slightly.

Asked about this, he smiled and said: “I played a football game, man.”

He sure did.

Last week he was pretty good, too. Owens turned in an electrifying 83-yard punt return and was rewarded by being named special teams player of the week in the CFL.

The performance against the Riders was Ray’s most prolific game since he threw for 505 yards against Winnipeg last Oct. 24.

Antwaun Molden, making his first start on defence this season because of injuries, was the defensive star, picking off two Darian Durant passes, including one late in the game for a 108-touchdown return.

It was the second-longest interception return in Argos’ regular-season history next to the 115-yard return of Eric Harris back in 1977.

“What we’ve seen from Molden throughout training camp is a guy with exceptional speed,” Argos head coach Scott Milanovich said.

“From time to time, he’ll get beat at the line of scrimmage, and even on the first interception I think he was probably beat, but he ran the guy down and made the interception. These are skills that you can’t find from a lot of players.”

Curtis Steele ran for two touchdowns and Jason Barnes and Mike Bradwell caught the other TD passes.

The Roughriders got their scoring on TD passes by Taj Smith, on a 59-yard pass and run play, and Anthony Allen from nine yards out.

Best plays

Molden’s 108-yard interception return. He waited in the flat and then pounced on a floater by Durant.

Ray hitting John Chiles for 36 yards in opening quarter. Chiles was waving he was in the clear and he got Ray’s attention. It set up the Argos’ first TD. Chiles hadn’t caught a pass last week and in fact had two penalties against Winnipeg.

Molden made a spectacular interception at the Argo goal-line to stop a Saskatchewan drive in first quarter.

Andre Durie showed second and third effort with a 35-yard run late in first quarter as a pile of Argos helped move him in a scrum.

Owens taking a pass that was almost picked off and turning it into a 49-yard pass-and-run play to the Rider 12 late in first quarter.

Taj Smith’s 59-yard pass and run touchdown was beautiful to watch. He started on the right side and cut across the middle as Durant put the ball over Molden and into Smith’s soft hands in the third quarter.

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